The Defection of A.J. Lewinter: A Novel of Duplicity

Before The Company, Robert Littell made a name for himself with The Defection of A.J. Lewinter. Hailed as "a perfect little gem" and a "concise, smart, and funny [novel that] turns Cold War spy cliches on their head," A.J. Lewinter tells the story of an insignificant American scientist whose defection to the Soviet Union becomes a terrifying political chess match of deceit and treachery. Not to be missed!

Overall an interesting story of how the "spooks" on both sides play off each other. Not sure when this story is to have taken place, but sounds like late cold war era, 60s perhaps. But it was very unusual to listen to as the narrator gave every character an ethnic accent to nearly every phrase in the book. Didn't matter whether the character was from Russia, Washington DC or Boston. Content good but narration unusual.

The Kill Switch: Tucker Wayne, Book 1

The mission seems simple enough: Extract a pharmaceutical magnate from Russian soil. But nothing is as it appears to be. A desperate call thrusts Captain Tucker Wayne and his stalwart military dog, Kane, into a frantic race to rescue the brilliant-but-deluded Abram Bukolov from a cadre of skilled assassins. Hunted and betrayed at every turn, Tucker and Kane must discover the truth behind a horror out of the ancient past that can be weaponized to terrorize the modern world. As time rapidly runs out, the deep and intimate bond between dog and soldier will be tested to the extreme.

I like James Rollins stories. Interesting ideas and characters and of course danger. I didn't know what to expect even with reading the summary. The twist is a partner canine. Well constructed story and lots of great info on the canine corps. At the end the author notes that there will be more stories. I hope so. Very enjoyable.

The Lincoln Myth: A Novel

New York Times best-selling author Steve Berry returns with his latest thriller, a Cotton Malone adventure involving a flaw in the United States Constitution, a mystery about Abraham Lincoln, and a political issue that’s as explosive as it is timely - not only in Malone’s world, but in ours. September 1861: All is not as it seems. With these cryptic words, a shocking secret passed down from president to president comes to rest in the hands of Abraham Lincoln.

Over the years I have enjoyed the Cotton Malone series. I especially appreciate the very end when Steve Berry explains which parts are real and which are made up. That said the emotional roller coaster between Cotton and Cassiopeia is getting to be a nuisance. In addition the resolution with the final antagonist was just way, way to drawn out.

This was a very interesting premise but I struggled with the end of this.

Kill Shot: An American Assassin Thriller

For months, Mitch Rapp has been steadily working his way through a list of men, bullet by bullet. With each kill, the tangled network of monsters responsible for the slaughter of 270 civilians becomes increasingly clear. He is given his next target: a plump Libyan diplomat who is prone to drink and is currently in Paris without a single bodyguard. Rapp finds him completely unprotected and asleep in his bed. With confidence in his well-honed skills and conviction of the man’s guilt, he easily sends a bullet into the man’s skull. But in the split second it takes the bullet to leave the silenced pistol, everything changes.

The Zero Hour

When an ominous, digitally encrypted telephone call is intercepted by the NSA's spy satellites high over Switzerland, FBI Special Agent Sarah Cahill -- irreverent, outspoken, a brilliant counterterrorism expert, a divorced mother of an eight-year-old boy -- is urgently summoned to New York to investigate an imminent terrorist attack on lower Manhattan.

This is or was a good story by Joseph Finder. It takes place in New York after the first World Trade Center bombing. So a lot of the discussion of the terrorist environment is very dated. It is fairly predictable but deep character stories and discussion of the technology then is good. Worked for spending time in the car.

I really like the Castle TV Show. So I tried this because it was a essentially a short listen. It was very good. While I like Scott Brick it is good to hear other narrators and Johnny Heller did a very good job especially conveying the sarcasm between the characters. About half way through I was pretty sure who did it, but it was great escapism.

The Jefferson Key: A Novel

Four United States presidents have been assassinated - in 1865, 1881, 1901, and 1963 - each murder seemingly unrelated and separated by time. But what if those presidents were all killed for the same reason: a clause in the United States Constitution - contained within Article 1, Section 8 - that would shock Americans? This question is what faces former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone in his latest adventure. When a bold assassination attempt is made against President Danny Daniels in the heart of Manhattan, Malone risks his life to foil the killing....

I really like the Steve Berry novels with Cotton Malone and everyone. The stories are good with plausible circumstances. Berry usually switches from one scene to another to keep the general timeline in order. But they way it is done in this books is very confusing especially with an audio book. If you miss just a few seconds you can miss the whole context of the next section. Several times i caught myself thinking "now who is this?"

Also the story is similar to one not too long ago by somebody else, can't remember who, but I thought when I started listening to this if I had already listened to it before.

Gone Tomorrow: A Jack Reacher Novel

In a novel that slams through one hairpin surprise after another, Lee Child unleashes a thriller that spans three decades and gnaws at the heart of America...and for Jack Reacher, a man who trusts no one and likes it that way, it's a mystery with only one answer the kind that comes when you finally get face-to-face and look your worst enemy in the eye.

I love the Jack Reacher stories. I especially like the reader for the stories. Makes the stories that much more grittier. This story line took a long, long time to develop. Prepare yourself to wait a while until you get to who the bad guys are and what they are doing.

American Assassin

Before he was considered a CIA superagent, before he was thought of as a terrorists worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world . . . and then tragedy struck.

I have either read or listened to all Vince Flynn books. They are well written with action and heart for the various characters. If there is a vote for MVR, Most Valuable Reader, it would be George Guidall. His inflections and tone are absolutely the best. I think his reading of the phone book would be compelling.

Pursuit of Honor: Mitch Rapp Series

The action begins six days after a series of explosions devastated Washington, D.C., targeting the National Counterterrorism Center and killing 185 people, including public officials and CIA employees. It was a bizarre act of extreme violence that called for extreme measures on the part of elite counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp and his trusted team member, Mike Nash.

I rarely write reviews but this one deserves high praise. It helps if you read Extreme Measure, the preceding book but is not necessary. Quick paced, just enough description, and great story telling. George Guidall is absolutely the very best reader there is. His reading is real story telling. Thank you Vince Flynn and George Guidall

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Sanction

Jason Bourne needs to regain his life as David Webb, so he accepts an invitation from his beloved mentor, Dominic Specter, to join the Linguistics department at Georgetown. It's a relief to leave the Bourne identity behind, but Jason soon finds himself in a life-or-death confrontation in which every move might be his last.

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